Summary (goodreads.com):Imagination
matters most in a world where art can keep monsters trapped—or set them free.

Lots of twins have a special connection, but
twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s
sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at
will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a
secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the
demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in
the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them.

The twins flee from London to a remote island off the
west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the
protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains
will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With
so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.

My Review:

Let me tell you the story about how I came to read this book. It was on the
Children’s truck I was routing in at
work and the first thing I noticed was the cover. It’s hard to ignore a giant
stag crashing through a window. I next noticed that the kids were holding a
book and STUFF was coming out of it. I knew right then that this book would be
interesting so I read the inside cover and decided that I had to read it
because the idea that two kids could bring art to life sounded amazing to me. I
then wondered who had come up with this brilliant idea and proceeded to check
the back flap to see the author’s bio because until that moment I had failed to
look at even the author’s name. It was at that point that I started yelling “John
Barrowman. John Barrowman?! AS IN
CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS OF DOCTOR WHO FAME, THAT JOHN BARROWMAN?! JOHN AND
HIS SISTER WROTE A CHILDREN’S BOOK AND I AM JUST FINDING IT NOW?!” Needless to say I got quite a lot of looks and
several “why are you shaking your fist and yelling Barrowman?” and, of course,
I decided to check the book out as soon as my shift ended.

Hollow Earth was
a breath of fresh air for me. I had been looking for a kid’s fantasy book that
would excite me, leave me guessing, and stay in my head and heart forever. Hollow Earth is that book. I loved
everything about it, from the characters, to the plot, and from the dialogue to
the setting. The main characters are twins, Em and Matt, and their new friend
Zach. All three of them have their own abilities and personalities, which makes
them extremely enjoyable to read about. The dialogue as well as the prose of
the rest of the novel is beautifully written and engaging. I love how seamlessly
the Barrowmans wrote together and would love to know their process. I could
clearly see how much their sibling relationship affected the characterization
of the twins. Sometimes in twin novels the characters don’t really seem to be
related let alone twins, but in Hollow
Earth it was plain to see and I think the Barrowman relationship is the
reason. The setting for most of the book is a tiny island off the coast of
Scotland. Besides the main concept, this was my favorite part because it felt
like I was there. I could see the island and hear the distinct dialect of the
locals.

When
embarking on writing a fantasy, especially for kids, it is important for the
magic to be explained in a way that is both exciting and thorough so that it
doesn’t either bog down the story or leave readers confused. The Barrowmans
were able to do this in Hollow Earth by
splitting the story between the main characters’ current timeline in which they
themselves learn about the ideas of the Animare (people who can bring art to life)
and flashbacks to the Middle Ages that tells the most important story of
Animare history, one which affects the current story. The complex history
behind the Animare and the Guardians that make sure they stay safe is
extraordinary in its depth. It has everything it should including political
strife and the historical background with the Middle Ages time line but also by
making some of the world’s most famous artists into Animare themselves as a way
to integrate us into their world.

I
truly cannot praise Hollow Earth
enough. I encourage you to find a copy and read it. You might be drawn in by John
Barrowman’s name on the cover, but the premise and the well written prose will
keep you on the edge of your seat until you beg for the sequel!